High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles! A digit is a type of symbol (a numeral symbol, such as "3" or "7") used in combinations to represent numbers (such as "37") in positional numeral systems. The name "digit" comes from the fact that the 10 digits (ancient Latin digita meaning fingers) of the hands correspond to the 10 symbols of the common base 10 number system, i.e. the decimal (ancient Latin adjective dec. meaning ten) digits.